The present invention relates to a lint remover including either a revolving tape roll with outwardly facing adhesive or adhesively attached directional lint brush material.
There are many previously known lint roller assemblies. These previously known lint roller assemblies typically include a handle secured to a cylindrical lint roller support. A tubular lint roll is then removably mounted to the support such that the adhesive roller is rotatable relative to the handle. In use, the adhesive lint roller is rolled along a user""s clothing, upholstery, or carpet to remove lint, fuzz, pet hair, and other debris.
The previously known lint rollers have used a number of different means to rotatably mount the lint roller support to the handle. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,923, the lint roller support/handle are separately constructed and then secured together. A disadvantage of this type of lint roller assembly, however, is that the rotatable connection between the handle and lint roller support is subjected to mechanical wear and tear and ultimately mechanical failure. Another disadvantage is that the two pieces require assembly. A still further disadvantage of this type of previously known lint roller assembly is that the lint roller support assembly rotates making it impossible to lock in place for use with directional lint remover fabric, which requires a fixed support section to facilitate a brushing motion. Still other types of previously known lint remover assemblies, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,695, have the handle injection molded in two halves which, however, requires expensive and complex molds and assembly, which is slow and expensive.
A still further disadvantage of these types of previously known lint roller assemblies is that they serve a single use; i.e., to pick up lint, hair, and other particles using revolving tape or adhesive coated rolls and do not provide other cleaning means, such as a liquid fabric refresher, fabric relaxers, colognes/perfumes, deodorizers, no-rinse pet and fabric cleaners and, therefore, do not facilitate a complete 2-in-1 cleaning system.
The present invention is a lint remover and spray dispenser apparatus that overcomes most of the above mentioned disadvantages of the previously known lint remover devices.
Specifically, the lint removal and liquid spray apparatus includes a container, a liquid storage chamber coupled to the container, a lint removal means, means carried on the container for receiving the lint removal means on the container, and dispenser means disposed in fluid communication with the liquid storage chamber for dispensing fluid from the chamber.
The lint removal means includes one or both of a roll or outwardly facing adhesive tape and at least one directional fabric strip.
The receiving means rotatably supports the roll of adhesive tape on the container. An intermediate portion of the container fixedly receives the at least one directional fabric strip. In one aspect, the directional fabric strip is mounted on a support section of the container and is spaced from an outer concentrically mounted roll of adhesive tape, rotatably supported on the support section of the container.
In another aspect, the liquid storage chamber is formed as an internal chamber integral the internal chamber within the container. In this aspect, the dispenser means is mounted on the container.
In another aspect, the liquid storage chamber is disposed in a separate body which is releasably mounted in the container. In this aspect, the dispenser means is carried on the separate body.
In another aspect, the dispenser means is located adjacent one end of the lint removal means or roll mounted about the body, at an opposite end of the body from the handle.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a lint removal roll support extends from one end of the handle and terminates in at least one or a pair of opposed lint roll removal mounting members. In either of the one or two lint removal roll mounting configurations, the lint removal roll generally extends transversely to the handle and is separate from the handle and the liquid storage chamber which is formed in at least one of the handle and an extension projecting from the handle to the lint removal roll mounts.
The combined lint remover and spray dispenser apparatus overcomes many of the problems associated with the previously devised lint removal devices by providing an easily usable, simple to manufacture, low cost apparatus which is capable of receiving either a roll of adhesive tape or a directional fabric for lint removal purposes. At the same time, the present apparatus uniquely is configured to contain a liquid for selective dispensing onto a surface to be cleaned.
The present apparatus therefore provides a complete cleaning means for surfaces which previously would have required two separate devices, namely a lint remover and a separate cleaning liquid spray container.